Device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing for packing

ABSTRACT

A device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing is disclosed wherein a pivotable folding plate is attached to a movable frame. The folding plate is pivotable between a position adjacent a table plate, which is also attached to the movable frame, and a position substantially perpendicular thereto. The folding plate is pivoted by working cylinders attached to a stationary frame, the piston rods of the cylinders selectively translating two gear racks disposed on either side of a gear wheel attached to the folding plate concentric with its pivoting axis.

United States Patent Nolte Oct. 14, 1975 [54] DEVICE FOR FOLDING SHIRTS OR 2,639,065 5/1953 Fope et a1 223/37 SIMILAR ARTICLES OF m G FOR 2,687,832 8/1954 Westwood 223/37 PACKING 3,391,839 7/1968 Gwinn et al. 223/37 I 3,464,602 9/1969 Romansky 223/37 X [75] Inventor: Karl-Heinz Nolte, Vlotho, Weser, 7

Germany Primary ExaminerGeo. V. Larkin [73] Assignee; Firma Herbert Kannegiessel- Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion,

Kornmanditgesellschaft, Vlotho, Zinn & Macpeak Weser, Germany [22] Filed: May 20, 1974 CT [21] Appl. No.: 471,611 A device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing is disclosed wherein a pivotable folding plate is at- I 1 tached to a movable frame. The folding plate is pivot- [30] Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnonty Dam able between a position adjacent a table plate, which May 23, 1973 Germany 2326222 i l tt hed to the movable frame, and a position substantially perpendicular thereto. The folding plate U-S. Cl. is pivoted working cylinders attached to a tation- [51] Int. Cl. ..A41H 33/00 r f ame thg piston rods of the cylinders selectively Field of Search 57 translating two gear racks disposed on either side of a gear wheel attached to the folding plate concentric References Cited with its pivoting axis.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1952 Calder et a1. 223/37 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Sheet 2 of 2 DEVICE FOR FOLDING SHIRTS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES OF CLOTHING FOR PACKING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 7 1. Field of the Invention a The present invention relatesto a device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing for packing wherein a plurality of folding devices each designed to receive a shirt or similar article of clothing are mounted for synchronized rotation and the folding elements of these folding devices are progressively activatable from station to station. 2. Description of the Prior Art In the case of machines having the above-described construction, for example, those described in German Offenlegungschrift 1,760,429 and German Gebrauchsmuster 7,105,284, the folding devices which are mounted for synchronized rotation are constructed in the usual manner, for example, as described in German Gebrauchsmuster 1,934,623. Accordingly, if the folding elements of these devices are designed to be activated mechanically, each of the folding devices of these machines is provided with all the drive means required to activate the folding elements of the same. However, this constitutes a disadvantage because these devices are costly to produce, are subject to breakdownsand are expensive to maintain. 1

A machine where-the folding elements of the folding devices adapted to rotatein synchronism are activated by a stationary or fixedly mounted drive means, that is, which is not adapted to rotate in synchronism with the folding devices, is disclosed in German Offenlegungschrift 1,964,228. Thestationary drive meansfor the folding elements is disposed below the folding devices rotatable about a verticle center point or axis. This arrangement of the drive means is acceptable for the application of the device disclosed in the afore-mentioned German Offenlegungschrift, namely the mechanical folding of articles of underclothing, but it is not suitable for a device for mechanically folding shirts or similar articles of clothing having long sleeves because in the case of this machine the "long sleeves of the articles placed on the table plates of the folding devices to enable them to be folded must hang free from the table plates of the folding devicesat least during the synchronized rotational movement of the folding devices from the first to the third folding stations.

US. Pat.- 1,657,552 discloses a machine where each article of clothing to be folded is first placed manually on a multipart plate having hingedly connected sections and is subsequently folded by moving the multipart plate by means of a conveyor belt past stationary elements which displace the sections of the plate in the folding direction in such a way that the article of clothing is completely folded when it leaves the folding device. The drive means of the movable parts of the folding plate of this device-which can be considered as the folding elements-is not suitable for use with a machine of the type mentioned initially for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing with long sleeves for packing. The reason for this is the same as that mentioned in connection with the machine disclosed by German OS 1,964,228, namely, that the long sleeves hang down during the synchronized movement of the folding devices from one station to the next.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the type mentioned initially which takes into account the method of operation of such machines in the mechanical folding and preparation for packing of shirts or similar articles of clothing having long sleeves and accordingly is provided with less drive means for the folding elements of the folding devices and is thus less subject to breakdowns than the known machines and thus requires less maintenance than these machines. 7 V

The device according to the invention ischaracterizedin that thefolding elements are mechanically activated by drive means mounted in a stationary manner at the front of the folding stations outside the path of rotation of the folding devices.

This arrangement of the drive means permits thein the longitudinal direction of the folding devices and,

preferably, only to effect movements in a straight line. This is .an advantage because this form of operation of the drive means can be effected with simple drive mechanisms, for example, working cylinders, thereby reducing the production costs and rendering the machine less subject to breakdowns and less costly to maintain. 1

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparentfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof which is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. I

' Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 shows a side view of one of the folding devices adapted to rotate in synchronism, showing its attachment points on the rotary mechanism of the machine as-well as two turnstiles and a part of the folding means.

FIG. 2 is a plan viewof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section of the side view according to- FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale. The referencenumbers in the drawings designate the following:

1l=folding device 4 32=table plate 33=folding plate (folding means) 39=frame 40=end of the-arm of a turnstile 41=end of the arm of a turnstile 43=bearing block 79=framework of the device 88=gearing 89=arrow (direction of displacement of 97, 98)

90=swivel axis 9l=gear wheel 92, 93=gear rack 94=drive means 95, 96=working cylinders 97, 98q iston rods 99=arrow (swivel direction of 33) Description of the Preferred Embodiments The part of the device according to the invention which is shown in the drawings and which is intended for the mechanical folding of shirts or the like consists firstly of the folding device 11 arranged on the ends of the arms 40, 41 of two multi-armed turnstiles which are not represented in the drawings. These turnstiles are arranged adjacent to each other with mutual spacing and are adapted to rotate in a synchronized manner about two horizontal axes which are offset with respect to each other.

The folding device 11 consists essentially of the frame 39 to which the table plate 32 is secured and the folding element consisting of the plate 33 about which the shirt or similar article of clothing to be folded (not shown) is mechanically folded.

The folding plate 33 is swivellably mounted on the bearing block 43 of the folding device 11 and is adapted to be pivoted in the direction of the arrow 99 (FIG. 1) and back again in order for a shirt or similar article of clothing to be placed on the table plate 32.

For the swivel movement of the folding plate 33 in the direction of the arrow 99 and back to its starting position, there is provided on the bearing block 43 of the folding device 11 a gear 88 which consists essentially of the gear wheel 91 arranged on the swivel axis of the folding plate 33 and the gear racks 92, 93 (FIG. 3).

The gear 88 and hence the folding element consisting of the folding plate 33 are activated by the drive means 94 arranged in the frame 79 of the device and comprising a working cylinders 95, 96 and the piston rods 97, 98.

If the plate 33 is to be swivelled in the direction of the arrow 99, the piston rod 97 of the working cylinder 95 and hence also the gear rack 93 are moved in the direction of the arrow 89, whereupon the gear wheel 91 and the swivel axis 90 are rotated and the plate 33, as mentioned above, is swivelled and the gear rack 92 moved into its position represented by the perforated lines.

The plate 33 is swivelled in the opposite direction to that mentioned above (arrow 99) after the piston rod 97 of the working cylinder 95 has been returned to its starting position. This is effected by moving the piston rod 98 of the working cylinder 96 and thus the gear rack 92 from the position indicated by the perforated lines in the direction of the arrow 89 whereupon the gear wheel 91 and thus the swivel axis 90 are rotated and, as stated the plate swivelled; the gear rack 93 .also being moved into its position indicated by the perforated lines.

In the case of the device according to the invention, the swivelling movement or the removal and deposition of the plate 33 from and on the table plate 32 of the folding device 1 1 takes place in two folding stations disposed in succession in the direction of movement of the folding device 11 such that in the first folding station which also serves as the attendants position at the device, the plate 33 is moved in the direction of the arrow 99. In the second folding station this plate 33 is moved in the opposite direction.

The remaining folding elements of the folding device 11 are not represented in the drawings as they are already known and it is also possible to envisage the gearing of the same in terms of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing for packing comprising:

a. a movable frame (39);

b. a folding means (33) movably attached to said movable frame (39);

c. first means (91, 92, 93) attached to said movable frame (39) to move said folding means with respect to said movable frame (1. a stationary frame (79); and

e. second means (95, 96, 97, 98) attached to said stationary frame (79) and engageable with said first means (91, 92, 93) to cause said folding means (33) to move with respect to said movable frame.

2. The device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises:

a. a gear wheel (91) connected to said folding means b. a first gear rack (92) slidably attached to said movable frame (39) and engaging one side of said gear wheel (91); and,

c. a second gear rack (93) slidably attached to said movable frame (39) and engaging said gear wheel (91) diametrically opposite said first gear rack (92).

3. The device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing of claim 2 wherein said second means comprises:

a. a first working cylinder (95) attached to said stationary frame (79) and having a piston rod (79) movable axially with respect to said first working cylinder (95) and engagable with said second gear rack (93); and

b. a second working cylinder (96) attached to said stationary frame (79) and having a piston rod (98) movable axially with respect to said second working cylinder (96) and engable with said first gear rack (92). 

1. A device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing for packing comprising: a. a movable frame (39); b. a folding means (33) movably attached to said movable frame (39); c. first means (91, 92, 93) attached to said movable frame (39) to move said folding means with respect to said movable frame d. a stationary frame (79); and e. second means (95, 96, 97, 98) attached to said stationary frame (79) and engageable with said first means (91, 92, 93) to cause said folding means (33) to move with respect to said movable frame.
 2. The device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises: a. a gear wheel (91) connected to said folding means (33); b. a first gear rack (92) slidably attached to said movable frame (39) and engaging one side of said gear wheel (91); and, c. a second gear rack (93) slidably attached to said movable frame (39) and engaging said gear wheel (91) diametrically opposite said first gear rack (92).
 3. The device for folding shirts or similar articles of clothing of claim 2 wherein said second means comprises: a. a first working cylinder (95) attached to said stationary frame (79) and having a piston rod (79) movable axially with respect to said first working cylinder (95) and engagable with said second gEar rack (93); and b. a second working cylinder (96) attached to said stationary frame (79) and having a piston rod (98) movable axially with respect to said second working cylinder (96) and engable with said first gear rack (92). 